gray birch

noun

1. a small, bushy birch, Betula populifolia, of stony or sandy areas of the eastern U.S., having grayish-white bark and triangular leaves.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gray birch¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Example Sentences

The black or sweet birch (Betula lenta) has a bark similar to the gray birch, except that its color is dark gray.

From Project Gutenberg

Comparisons: The paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is apt to be confused with the gray birch, because both have a white bark.

From Project Gutenberg

Soil and location: The gray birch does best in a deep, rich soil, but will also grow in poor soils.

From Project Gutenberg

Here about Mullein Hill, this is sure to be a gray-birch home.

From Project Gutenberg

Besides the box elder and crab-apple seeds, the birds have eaten wild-cherry pits, poison-ivy berries, and gray-birch seeds.

From Project Gutenberg